


A Little Late For All This

by No_Biggie (orphan_account)



Category: Game Grumps
Genre: Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-29
Updated: 2016-06-29
Packaged: 2018-07-18 23:37:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,174
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7335604
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/No_Biggie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dan walks in on Ross staying at work late to animate and notices he's singing a song from Dan's old band, The Northern Hues. Ross is way more embarrassed about this than Dan thinks he should be, for some reason.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Little Late For All This

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this as a joke late last night for my friend on skype, and it starts off low effort but i wound up Trying right before the end. its shockingly long for something that was supposed to be a joke, but hey, go big or go home. this is both the first writing ive ever posted and the first time ive managed to so shittily mix melodramatic lang with pure, unadulterated Half-Assedness. its still pure tho

Ross has never been a good singer, but that doesn't stop him from humming for himself when he’s busy and needs something to occupy one half of his brain as the other works to draw. He’s deep in thought, hands working almost instinctively. He’s been working on character designs in the Grumpspace for so long that he’s pulled an all-nighter there. He starts humming a northern hues song and then he starts singing while he works, (because he knows those lyrics so well that he hardly needs to think about them) and he’s so focused for once that he doesn't even notice the sound of the door opening and closing behind him.  


Danny left his phone at the grump space, and went back to get it. He was surprised to see the lights still on at such a late hour. He was sure he was the only one here. They hadn't just left the power on overnight, had they? But, then he heard sound, Ross's voice! Why was the kid still here? Jesus, had he really stuck around just to work?  
Danny spots him, and he’s about to walk over when he realizes what it is that raspy voice is trying to emulate.  


>   
>  Let the truth be known  
>  You were mine  
>  Only for a short time  
>  I'm better off alone  
>  I'm alive  
>  Bleeding out black  
> 

No way, Danny thought. He knew Ross had been a fan of NSP, but the thought had never occurred to Danny that Ross might've followed his other bands as well. He'd barely even mentioned that he had other bands. Jeez, he wasn't even sure if Arin had listened to any of his work that was that old. Ross still hadn't noticed Dan, so he moved over to the couch behind his back, and sat as quietly as he could.  


Ross’s hand cramps up too badly and painfully even to keep drawing and he knows he needs a break. Ross turns around. They see each other and Ross stops singing as his permanent blush deepens. "Oh, Ross, dude, what's wrong? That was super great! I had no idea you knew about my other bands?" its phrased as a question. Ross stutters trying to explain himself. How could he detail his online adventure trying to go through Dan's musical history? He had no idea how he could let Dan know that he had sat mesmerized the first time he heard the man's voice sing such serious lyrics so somberly, without sounding creepy, that was. His mouth opened and closed, once, then twice.  


Finally he blurted, "w-when , are you here??" which was a sort of combination between ‘why are you here’ and ‘when did you get here’. He wanted to turn back around and pretend he hadn't even noticed him. He resumed rubbing his cramped palm anxiously and stared at Dan while his mind raced a million miles an hour. Dan just laughed and patted the couch beside him.  


"So, tell me how long you've been an avidaniel superfaniel?"he said in his low, jokingly sexy voice. The pun could be excused by the fact that it was two am on a work day and by nothing else. Ross might've laughed at its shittiness if he wasn't exhausted, in pain, and more nervous than a kid called to the principal's office.  


Dan's smile remained, only faltering slightly at the corners when he noticed that the Auzzie still wasn't talking. "Ross, I just came to get my phone. What's wrong, seriously?"  


Ross began walking and talking, quickly, and all at once. "A while back I saw a comment on one of your-NSP'S videos that mentioned that you had other bands that were actually serious, a-and so I looked for them, and I found Northern Hues first- which w-wwas so amazing! I hadn't ever... you... i-," his volume raised noticeably. "IVE NEVER HEARD YOU SING LIKE THAT!  


“I’ve never heard your voice singing so seriously; It was amazing, Danny. Every song I’ve heard of yours was a joke but when you sound like you mean it, its.." he got quieter, more nervous, and finished, "really, uhm, good."  


Danny watched him fidget and flit his way through this. Ross's eye contact had been erratic, but he hadn't sat still once through the rant, even after he'd plopped onto the couch.  


Ross moved his hands around each other, cradling, then wringing, then massaging. Dan couldn't help but be distracted. Hands of a young artist were always such a tell. Danny couldn't help what he did. He was exhausted. He wasn't thinking clearly. And how could he, while ross blushed and stuttered and left just a hint of an accent on his pronunciation of Danny's name.  


When Danny grabbed ross's hand, his only goal had been to still it; to calm the sea of twisting cogs and twitching muscles. He still felt bad of course, seeing the panic in ross's eyes even as ross fulfilled Dan's wishes of stillness. Perfect frightened stillness. Danny immediately, instinctively began rubbing ross's hand with his thumb.  


"Ross, nothing's wrong. Is something wrong? You look really upset and its super sad." Ross took a second to comprehend Dan's concern. Oh, fuck. Of course. This wasn't the distant star he'd delusionally considered Dan to be back when he was some fanboy. This was one of his closest friends of more than a year. This was the guy who made damning him into a meme. This wasn't some fucking,, untouchable celebrity. This wasn't Danny Sexbang or Lead Singer Daniel Avidan. This was his friend, Dan.  


God, who gets so nervous about their closest friend? When he calmed down, he registered that Danny was rubbing his cramped hand, and only a little bit of tension came back with that. "Oh my god, Danny. You really snuck up on me there buddy." Ross's heart kept pounding. while he did stare at his hand in Dan's, he made no move to withdraw it. He finally looked Dan in the eyes, this time in an actually cognitive state rather than a panicked frenzy. "You’re here for your phone?" Dan nodded, a warm yet mildly confused smile lighting his face. "I saw it after you left. It’s right over there." He pointed to Suzy's desk, where Dan must have just dropped it on his way out or something.  


Whatever. They were distractable people. Dan pushed himself up off the couch, and Ross felt his hand grow cold immediately as he did. "So," Dan piped up, not looking back at him. "You really like my old music? Thanks man. That actually like, means a lot to me." Ross nodded, despite the fact that Dan wasn't looking at him.  


"Yeah, I mean,.... it’s just great hearing you sing like you really mean it. You don't sound nervous or giggly or like your putting on a show. you sound professional. It’s almost intimidating, or it would be if i didn't know you so well." Dan grabbed his phone and turned back to Ross.  


"Wait, did you listen to my old shit before, or after you first met me?" he quirked an eyebrow and Ross went back to massaging his own hand as he remembered.  


"After," he responded, and Dan nodded like that was the end of it. "But not like, a lot after? It was only when I was first getting to know you. Yeah," he went on, too caught up again to notice Dan sit back on the couch with him, even closer this time. "I was impressed by you for those first few weeks, but after I heard you sing like that, I was..." he trailed off, not sure what word to use.  


Dan wrapped an arm around ross and affected a jokingly low and sexual voice. "Aroused?" he provided.  


“Shut up.’ Ross said. Now, this next part, he still doesn’t know whether he divulged it because he was exhausted, or just because he’s a fucking idiot, but he continued nonetheless. “I’m hardly the first guy who’s had to question his sexuality because of Danny Sexbang. Have you seen the comments on your videos?” He laid back with his hands rubbing his eyes, his body half phased into the couch and his voice slurred. This relaxed position abandoned him as quickly as an older sibling stuck babysitting at a party when he realized just how much cannon fodder he’d just provided; just how fucked he was. He didn’t move a muscle.  


Danny’s voice invaded his panicked study of his own swift heartbeat, with the most gratingly joyous tone Ross’d ever been on the receiving end of. “Holy shit. You had a crush on Danny Sexbang.” Ross whined helplessly, knowing no denial would help at this point. He certainly would’ve never believed anyone else’s in such a situation. The silence was all Danny needed. He arched his back laughing, leaning far into the couch and pressing his head into the back cushion, clapping and cackling in the way only a true friend does at another true friend’s emotional expense. “You’re shitting me, dude. No way. No fucking way!” he kept laughing.  


“oh fuck you!” ross yelled through his hands on his face, curled up in embarrassment. “You know exactly what youre doing in that fucking, shimmery spandex g-goddamn suit thing!” Ross yelled the accusation, but danny made No move to defend. Ross removed his hands from his face and pulled his knees up to his chest, holding his head between them shamefully. It wasn’t the worst response you could get when admitting a gay crush on a friend. He flung an arm out, softly hitting Dan’s arm without looking. “Besides, I only liked you because I didn’t fucking know you.” A little harsh, but he knew Dan could handle him lashing out to save face.  


Now they were both laughing. “Just don’t screw me over with it okay? The last thing I need is fucking Arin,” he paused, remembering what true horror could befall him, “or Brian knowing about this. It was a long time ago! I’m a changed man! I’m married. And as far as I want the other grumps to be concerned, for like, as long as I want them to believe it; I’m straight.” He finished with finality, looking Dan in the eyes for the first time in god knows how long. Dan’s face was still overtaken with amusement but he nodded, looking down for half a second in understanding, and then back at Ross.  


He held out his hand for an Official Shake On It Deal. “No worries, man. I mean, I’ll still mess with you about this for as long as it’s funny, but I’ll keep it between us. I get wanting some privacy.”  


Ross couldn’t believe the comfort he felt, allowing the smallest smile on his lips as he considered the offer. Of course, he also couldn’t help the partially glazed over expression he got when he considered how horribly the situation could’ve gone. “You’re really not creeped out of anything?” his light tone kept only the dredges of twinges of particles of fear that slipped through in the way no one can really help. He neglected Dan’s handshake.  


“No, man.” Dan said, and moved his hand a little while looking intently and warmly at Ross in the hopes of drawing attention to it. “You’ve seen the shit Ninja Brian does to me. That guy’s been threatening to give me an ‘Earthshattering Death Beej’ since like 2012. I couldn’t be creeped out by an innocent crush if I tried.” Ross laughed, and went to shake Danny’s hand.  


“Ow, fuck.” Danny looked alarmed. Ross explained, “How did I forget that my fucking hand was cramped?” Blame it on the time, the distracting situation, or maybe on the fact that for a second the only feeling he had was in his fluttering chest. Their eyes both were drooping at this point, and the comfort brought to the once-tense situation only further lulled them into exhaustion’s bullshit.  


“Oh, dude, here.” Danny took Ross’s hurting hand and began massaging it. The guy played video games for a living; he knew how to get rid of hand cramps. Ross smiled as it felt immediately better. He let Danny continue as they snuggled deeper into the couch. Facing each other, curled up, and with Ross’s hand in Danny’s, they passed out.  


_____________________________________________  


“and danny just like. starts massaging his hand again and tells him its fine and he wont tell, and ross just like. covers his face, and they pass out giggling together with rosses hand in dannys and leaning towards each other on the couch and barry instagrams a video of it the next morning”  


“its a silent vid and it starts with barry putting his finger to his lips and then he pans and theyre.. layin there... and then it has all of the grumps looking at sleeping ross and danny, and then it has the BOIS waking up and dannys reaction to being filmed where at first hes like groggy what and then hes like alerted OH SHIT”


End file.
